SOUTH CAROLINA: Track stars Natasha Hastings and Shalonda Solomon will forego their senior years and turn professional.

• Pole vaulter Dan McKenzie was named to the ESPN Academic All-America second team.

GOLF: In Norwood, N.C., Blake Kennedy (Campobello) shot a first-round 78 and is tied for 19th among boys 13-15 at the Westfield Junior Carolinas PGA Championship.

In the boys 16-18 division, Thomas Justice (Moore) and Daniel Whisenant (Gaffney) each shot 76 and are tied for 24th place. Thomas Whisenant (Gaffney) shot 42 and is in fifth place among boys 12-and-under.

• Jason Mosley shot a 72 to finish first in the Handicap Association 3 Club Tourney at Village Greens on Saturday.

• Mary Kylen made a hole in one on the 103-yard seventh hole at Links O' Tryon on June 5, using an 8-iron.

SoCon tournaments to end on Monday

Southern Conference athletic directors have voted to shift the dates of the league's basketball tournaments.

Both the men's and women's tournaments will end on Monday, March 10, next season, the league said Tuesday. The SoCon champions had typically been decided the previous weekend with this year's winners, Davidson for the men and Chattanooga for the women, finishing their victories on Saturday.

Southern Conference commissioner John Iamarino said the move could lead to better attendance for earlier rounds played on the weekend, reduce the number of classes missed by players and bring the title games to larger TV audiences.

Congress may join NFL's dispute

In Washington, aging NFL retirees told Congress Tuesday that playing professional football left them with broken bodies, brain damage and empty bank accounts. Lawmakers said they may get involved if a better pension and disability system isn't created.

Former NFL players told a sympathetic House Judiciary subcommittee tales of multiple surgeries, dementia and homelessness, all while trying to fight through the red tape of the National Football League and the NFL Players Association's disability system.

The league and the players association said pensions are improving and there's no need for Congress to step in.

Kiwis take 2-1 lead in America's Cup

In a rematch between powerful archrivals, the Kiwis topped Swiss Alinghi in the third America's Cup race Tuesday in Valencia, Spain, with so many lead changes that even the teams lost count. It was a classic in the regatta's 156-year-history, and weak and fickle winds were a key factor in creating the drama.

The Kiwis took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-nine series.

Mystics 91, Sun 75: In Uncasville, Conn., Alana Beard scored 20 points, 16 in the second half, to lead Washington against Connecticut.

Comets 75, Silver Stars 67: In Houston, Tina Thompson scored all 17 of her points in the second half to lead Houston past San Antonio.

Monarchs 59, Liberty 46: In Sacramento, Calif., Rebekkah Brunson had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Sacramento never trailed. Lisa Willis made five 3-pointers and had 15 points and six rebounds for the Liberty.